The Wall Street Journal quoted one service, ExpressVPN, as saying that Apple had told it about the removal of its app on Saturday.

ExpressVPN published the notice which claimed the app contained content that contravened Chinese laws.

Apple told the WSJ that it had removed the apps to fall in line with a new law that made it mandatory for VPN providers to get a licence from the country's authorities.

“We have been required to remove some VPN apps in China that do not meet the new regulations. These apps remain available in all other markets where they do business,” the company said.

This is the second time in recent months that Apple has had to bow to Chinese laws in order to continue its operations in the country.

Earlier this month, Apple announced plans for opening a new data centre in China in order to comply with the government's demands to store Chinese customer data within the country. 

The company's 10th anniversary iPhone is due to launch later this year. The iPhone is now the fourth largest selling device in China, down from the third position and behind local rivals Oppo and Vivo, both from BBK Electronics, and Huawei.